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The South North Route route
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Makonde carving
Makonde is one of ethnic group found in south east Tanzania
and Northern Mozambique. They are part of bantu speaking
group famous for their wood carvings, their observance of
puberty rites and dances.
The Makonde are among the few matrilineal sociees in
Tanzania whereby children and inheritance belong to the
women. The Makonde use ebony wood to carve different
objects, Before their interacons with people from outside
of Africa Makonde used to carve masks used for their dances
and other small household items. The interacons with the
outside world led to the expansion in Makonde carvings
whereby they started to carve different objects and stories in
exchange for money.
The art of carving is passed from one© generaon www.coolgeography.co.uk to another
since childhood whereby a father teaches a son. Recently
Makonde carvings are not only used in Tanzanian households
but they are also one of the major aracons in most of the
curio shops for tourists and visitors in Tanzania.
43 Iraqw subterrrenean house
Iraqw change their style of housing, from round houses with
high conical thatched roofs to low parally subterranean and
earthen-roofed © Family Leakeytempe houses, as a defensive measure
against Maasai raids during the early nineteenth century.
These tempe houses were thought to have been in use
during a limited period only, aer which the round-house
style was adopted again.
The iraqw or Irakw (also known as wambulu) are a Cushic
speaking ethnic group inhabing the great lakes region of
East Africa.
They live in Arusha and Manyara Region of North Central
Tanzania near the ri valley wall and south of Ngorongoro
crater. Tradionally the iraqw wore clothing made of skins
with elaborate beadwork that old their histories. The iraqw
are agro pastoralism.
Addionally, the Iraqw's ancestors are oen credited with
having constructed the sprawling Engaruka complex in
northern Tanzania. The modern Iraqw pracce an intensive
form of self-contained agriculture.
Iraqw historical tradions likewise relate that their last
significant migraon to their present area of inhabitaon
occurred about two or three centuries ago aer conflicts
with the Barbaig sub-group of the Datoga Nilotes, herders
who are known to have occupied the Crater Highlands prior
to the arrival of the Maasai.
Family Leakey and friends inside the outdoor dining room
©endorolodge.com
This populaon movement is reportedly consistent with the
date of the Engaruka site's deseron, which is esmated at
somewhere between 1700 and 1750.
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